South Efhang
<< Back to Conlangs :: << Back to North Nekturian Characteristics South Efhang is the most “progressive” branch of the Efhang stem. Most flexional endings have been lost, giving place to phrasal constructions with particles. Phonology Consonants Vowels Vowels are: Morphology Nouns There are three gender of nouns: masculine, feminine and neuter. Nouns are declined according to three numbers: singular, dual and plural, and to four cases, viz.: #Nominative (subject) #Accusative (direct object) #Dative (indirect object) #Genitive (possessive) Masculine Nouns | |} Feminine Nouns | |} Neuter Nouns | |} Adjectives Adjectives are declined exactly the same way as nouns. However, all adjectives receive a thematic vowel '-i' before the ending. E.g., mupf-''' -> 'mupf-i-'. mupfi "new", "young" |- !Feminine | |- !Neuter | |} Kelmti "great" |- !Feminine |- | |- !Neuter |- | |} Comparative Form Superiority The particle '''kah is used before the adjective. Ex.: *'kelmti' "large", kah kelmti "larger" *'mupfi' "new", kah mupfi "newer" *'punni' "good", kah punni "better" Equality Inferiority Superlative The particle hunn is used before the adjective. Ex.: *'kelmti' "large", hunn kelmti "the largest" *'mupfi' "new", hunn mupfi "the newest" *'punni' "good", hunn punni "the best" Pronouns Pronouns follow the same declension system used for nouns and adjectives, with little differences in some forms. Personal Although there are dual forms for all pronouns, they were not always used, plural forms being preferred. Dual forms were used mostly when the speaker wanted to emphasize the fact that the elements were exactly two. 1st and 2nd person pronouns have special forms, while the 3d person pronoun follows the regular noun endings. 1st and 2nd Person Pronuns | |} Possessive Possessive pronouns are declined like any other adjective. Demonstrative *'iðði' "this" (very near) *'histi' "this" (not so near) *'giyi' "that" (far) Interrogative *'xiy' "what" *'xawn' "who" *'wer' "which" *'neng' "how" *'heym' "where" *'gohem' "when" Relative *'xiy' "that" *'xawn' "who" Indefinite *'hekonn' "some", "any" *'mamyon' "no", "none" *'dutt' "all", "every" *'xett' "each", "every" Numbers Cardinal Numbers *0 sawl *1 honn *2 tuddudz, -edz, -idz *3 delðes *4 goleh *5 ðeng *6 dziyes *7 ðawdi *8 uhyed *9 mufi *10 tawððes *11 hontawð *12 tuttawð *13 dettawð *14 gohettawð *15 ðeguttawð *16 dzittawð *17 ðawdittawð *18 uhyettawð *19 mufittawð *20 fed *21 fed honn *30 dled *40 goheled *50 ðeygohed *60 dziheyðed *70 ðawded *80 uhyeded *90 mufed *100 ðawn Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are simply the cardinal numbers turned to adjectives and preceded by the particle i''': *1 '''i honni *2 i tuddi *3 i delði *4 i golhi *5 i ðengi *6 i dziysi *7 i ðawdi *8 i uyhdi *9 i mufi *10 i tawði Conjunctions Coordinating *'xoy' "for" *'hiy', goy "and" *'mayn' "nor" *'ðawt', nez, bûlN "but" *'u' "or" *'ihet' "yet" *'eððin' "so" Correlative *'henpudz/edz/idz … hiy … ' "both … and … " *'u … ho … ' "either … or … " *'mayn … mayn … ' "neither … nor … " *'mewu … ðat … ' "not … but … " *'meððu … denpen … ' "not only … but also … " Subordinating *'tibyed' "after" *'ged' "although" *'ðiy' "if" *'iððawd' "unless" *'xiyuk' "so that" *'belled' "therefore" *'hebbiys' "in spite of", "despite" *'xoye' "because" Verbs Concepts *'Voices': Active and Passive *'Moods': Indicative, Conditional *'Tenses': Present, Perfective, Aorist, Imperfective, Pluperfect, Future, Future Perfect *'Persons': 1st, 2nd and 3rd *'Numbers': Singular, Dual and Plural Most endings have been lost. Mood, tense and voice are mostly indicated by means of particles put before or after the verb. Some auxiliary verbs are also used. Sample Conjugation: feyto "see" Here is the full conjugation of the verb feyto "see". For other verbs, just change the root (in this case, feyt-'). Active Voice Indicative =Present = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Future = =Future Perfect = Conditional =Present = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Future = =Future Perfect = Participle =Present = *'feyt-əd =Perfective = *'feyt-ət' =Aorist = *'feyt-əs' =Imperfective = *'feyt-ətti' =Pluperfect = *'feyt-lan' =Future = *'feyt-ol' =Future Perfect = *'feyt-elt' Imperative Passive Voice Passive voice is formed by means of the particle delem put before the verb. Vocabulary *Swadesh List: Here we give the Swadesh List for South Efang. Sample *"Duttiuð uwnanuð meððəng reyfliuð, kas teykmeytetek hiy kas teyliheydeg. Eruð efəng lesewew hiy gemzemzeyhew, hiy tifəng esho honn uhodluk hen ispeyleyduk helnemtetik." **''("All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.")''